《Surviving As An Ordinary Adventurer》 -Introduction- side person In a world of magic, you either become an adventurer for a prestigious guild or a noble¡ªotherwise, survival is out of the question. That was the basic idea behind this ridiculous world. Maybe I should just leave this country¡­ How many times have I thought about that already? Under the scorching summer sun, I lay in a field, staring at the sky, wondering how I could make money faster¡ªjust enough to survive. "Should I register with a guild? ¡­Not that they¡¯d accept someone weak like me, anyway." Maybe I had already given up on the idea from the start, so I kept looking for excuses to reject it. But reality didn¡¯t care about my excuses. I was already twenty, jobless, and the old man was going to kick me out soon. As I kept thinking, I drowned in the mundane pages of my life¡ªa life with no excitement, no adventure. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. In this world, it was strange not to be an adventurer. Everyone was born with magic, and their abilities were ranked according to certain levels¡ªlevels I wouldn¡¯t bother explaining now. In those rankings, I was at the bottom. "You idiot, get inside already! It''s time for dinner!" That was the one thing I never minded hearing. The old man always called me in for dinner at this time. "I¡¯m coming." I headed inside, expecting him to talk my ear off while we ate. But strangely, he was silent. That wasn¡¯t like him. "What¡¯s wrong, old man?" "Damn it, I told you to stop calling me that." "But you are old. I¡¯m just stating facts." "So if your father grew weak, would you call him weak? If your mother became frail, would you make her feel fragile? And if time left even the slightest mark on your beloved¡¯s face, would you call her ugly?" "Just get to the point." I should¡¯ve expected that kind of answer from him¡­ or maybe I did, which is why I wasn¡¯t as surprised as I thought I¡¯d be. "I won¡¯t be in this world much longer. Your current earnings won¡¯t be enough for you to live on your own. You have Ghin inside you¡ªwhy not use it to live a better life?" "You know I can¡¯t. My Ghin is weak anyway, and guilds don¡¯t need dead weight right now." [Ghin¡ªthe source of power in this world. No one knows where it came from, but legend has it that when the first human awakened to this power, they saw the origin of the world and the truth of the universe. They understood its components and its causes. The mountains trembled, and the sky rained down jewels¡­] A few months after that short conversation¡ªjust a few sentences, really¡ªthe old man passed away. I carried him to his grave and gave him a proper burial. There was no dramatic twist. No hidden revelation. His end was ordinary. And my end would be just as ordinary. Because I wasn''t special. I wasn¡¯t an adventurer. I wasn¡¯t a hero. life of an ordinary adventurer (1) The old man passed away, and with my own two hands, I buried his body beneath the earth. He wasn¡¯t one of my favorites, but I owed him a great deal. He let me live in his home for a long time¡ªfrom when I was fifteen until I turned twenty. My parents were dead, so I had no one¡ªno siblings, no family. My father had already pawned the house and everything we owned before he died, so I lost everything. Because, as I¡¯ve said before¡­ in this world, the strength of your Ghinn determines your ability to survive. ¡°I need a new place to live now¡­¡± I muttered, my face pressed against the table, hands over my head, staring into the abyss. That was all that occupied my mind at that moment. Not long after, the government seized the old man¡¯s house. Believe it or not, it turned out that his home had been mortgaged to them as well. That¡¯s when I set off for the royal capital. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d end up traveling to Hades in search of work.¡± Hades¡ªthe royal capital¡ªwas named after the ruler of the underworld, the bringer of wealth. It was one of the three great capitals, the kingdom¡¯s beating heart, its lifeblood. All trade and goods passed through Hades before spreading across the kingdom. It was also home to the Adventurers¡¯ Guilds. Maybe I¡¯d find work as a vegetable vendor or something. The journey took two days by carriage before I finally reached the capital. I wasn¡¯t paying much attention at first, but the first thing I laid eyes on was a thief. Right in front of me, he was using his abilities to force an old woman to hand over her money. Everyone just stood and watched. I didn¡¯t blame them. Even I stood and watched. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite the welcome for my first day in the capital¡­¡± I checked into a small inn down a narrow alley and sat, lost in thought. The old man¡¯s words wouldn¡¯t leave my head: "Use your Ghinn to live a better life." Damn it. What kind of dog crap was he talking? I drifted into sleep, sinking into my thoughts. In that dark space, I felt gravity pressing down on my shoulders, like a massive boulder had fallen on top of me. The silence was deafening. The air was thick. The darkness was suffocating. It felt like I was deep under the ocean. And then, in the middle of that void, I heard the old man¡¯s voice calling my name. ¡°Damn it¡­ even now, this old man won¡¯t leave me alone¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been an ill-mannered brat!¡± ¡°You¡¯re appearing in my dreams now, old man?!¡± I actually said that out loud¡ªbut¡­ was this really a dream? My chest felt like it was about to split in half from the pressure, yet the old man stood there, completely fine. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a little chat, kid?¡± ¡°What?! You come to me in the middle of all this just to talk? You¡¯re dead! I buried you! I feel like I¡¯m drowning, my chest is about to explode, and yet you¡¯re standing there like nothing¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°You must be sensing the Ghinn radiating from me¡­ This isn¡¯t a dream. This is your subconscious. You¡¯re awake, but you¡¯re also asleep. I left the last of my Ghinn inside your memory so I could tell you this after I pass on.¡± I went silent for a moment, staring at the old man seriously. I had so many questions¡­ How did he even have Ghinn? Why hadn¡¯t I ever sensed it before? And why was he telling me this now, after he was already dead? These thoughts swirled in my mind, but I kept quiet and let him speak. ¡°Alright, say what you need to say.¡± ¡°You know you¡¯re special, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Heh. Caught me. Look, all I want is for you to live a fulfilling life. And we both know that the life of a non-adventurer is nothing but dull and miserable. You need to become an adventurer¡ªbut you need to live, too.¡± ¡°And how did the people of these kingdoms survive without being adventurers?¡± ¡°They live, but they live under the rule of adventurers and their system. At any moment, adventurers could upend the entire kingdom¡ªno, the entire world. But adventurers are just one small piece of the bigger picture.¡± The old man was right. I could see it in his eyes¡ªhe was serious about every word. I didn¡¯t hate adventurers, but I despised the class divide. I wasn¡¯t some warrior for justice. But I was a warrior for my own rights. And if I wanted to survive in this capital, I would survive¡ªno matter the cost. The old woman who was robbed was a clear example: only the strong survive. The government might claim to help, but that was nothing more than a comforting lie. Being an adventurer didn¡¯t come with restrictions¡ªit placed you above the law. It gave you a certified license to rule. ¡°Well, kid, I don¡¯t think I need to say anything else. Seems like you¡¯ve already got it figured out.¡± I gave him one last look before he began dissolving into the air. He scattered like salt in the ocean. The crushing weight that nearly split me in two vanished, and the fog began to lift. The world around me blurred, fading into an overwhelming, pure white. It was an empty, featureless room¡ªa cube of nothingness. Was this my subconscious? ¡°¡­Am I really this empty?¡± life of an ordinary adventurer (2) In the early morning, I woke up and headed toward the nearest branch to register as a new adventurer. I knew I had rejected the idea countless times, but logically, the old man was right. I¡¯m living for myself now, and I''ll do whatever it takes to survive. The entrance to the branch looked like an old Western tavern¡ªcomplete with a swinging wooden door and a long line leading to the registration desk. It resembled a bar more than an adventurer¡¯s guild, but I didn¡¯t care much about the aesthetics. Still, it stood out significantly among the surrounding buildings, both in size and design. In front of me, I could see all kinds of adventurers¡ªwealthy elites clad in heavy armor and wielding legendary weapons. Excited kids who idolized the idea of being an adventurer, unaware of what awaited them once they passed the test. They thought everything could be solved with legendary weapons, shouting, and sheer willpower¡ªhoping for some miracle to push them beyond their limits. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Welcome, future adventurer! Please tell me your name, age, and your Ghinn type, and I will evaluate your level immediately.¡± ¡°My name is Mizuki Ryosai. I¡¯m twenty years old. I don¡¯t know my Ghinn type, nor have I ever cared about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unusual not to know your Ghinn type.¡± ¡°That¡¯s simply because I never bothered to find out.¡± The elderly woman at the desk turned around and retrieved a pure white crystal, firmly held in place by a violet dragon¡¯s claw. The sharp talons gripped the orb tightly, giving it an ominous yet majestic presence. ¡°Place your hand on the crystal, please.¡± I placed my hand on it, and a soft blue glow emerged. It wasn¡¯t the dazzling brilliance you''d expect from heroes in fantasy stories. Just an ordinary glow¡­ nothing special. ¡°Sir, it seems your Ghinn has not adapted to any particular type yet. Since you haven¡¯t refined it, it remains as pure energy for now. Which type would you prefer?¡± ¡°The one that keeps me alive.¡± [The Warrior¡ªuses Ghinn to enhance muscular strength. The Tamer¡ªuses Ghinn to control monsters and wild beasts. The Armamenter¡ªuses Ghinn to reinforce or create weapons.] Those were the types I had heard about. They seemed interesting, but honestly, I wasn¡¯t interested in any of them. Maybe something defensive¡ªan armored type, a defender¡ªsomething that simply ensured my survival. Even though I didn¡¯t possess an enormous amount of energy, I could feel it. That bastard wasn¡¯t even trying to hide it. A powerful presence was moving toward us. The wooden doors swung open violently. Ten guards followed behind him. A noble¡¯s attire. Silky violet hair. A mask¡ªone half pure white, the other pitch black, obscuring most of his face. The painted smile on his mask sent every nerve in my body into high alert. He was the test examiner. The foreigner¡ªJohn Smith. ¡°Welcome, newcomers! No¡ªadventurers! I welcome you all! If you¡¯ve registered, follow me! Today, your trial begins.¡± life as an ordinary adventurer (3) "Is the test starting now?!" It was confusing, yet it made perfect sense. On the battlefield, you don¡¯t get a chance to mentally or physically prepare for anything. Danger can come from any direction at any moment¡ªyou just have to be ready to face it. It seems like this is one of the downsides of an adventurer''s broad privileges. Of course, some of the kids immediately started questioning why the test had begun so suddenly. They were shouting at the top of their lungs, their faces twisted in frustration. "Why do we have to go now? This makes no sense! Are you kidding me?!" He barely paid them any attention, just laughing as he looked at their faces¡­ thinking to himself, Since when do insects speak? Before long, they started gathering into small groups. Naturally, weak teams survive by sticking together¡ªmoving alone would be suicide. I was sitting at a distant table, avoiding interaction. Most of them would probably try to use me and toss me aside once I was no longer useful. Or worse, sacrifice me at the first opportunity to save their own skin. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. For now, I think moving alone is my best option¡­ As I was observing them, analyzing the situation, a young man approached me. He had red eyes, matching red hair with a few black streaks, and was dressed in samurai-style clothing, a sword resting on his right hip. "Hey there! Are you new?" "I wouldn¡¯t be here if I wasn¡¯t new." "Want to join my squad? We¡¯re missing a few members, and we¡¯ll help each other out during the entrance test." "No, thanks. I¡¯ll go alone." "You won¡¯t make it. We all know the test is hard, and you¡¯ll need us to succeed." "I said, I¡¯ll succeed." He seemed a bit annoyed but eventually walked away. He looked about nineteen¡ªprobably a decent guy. Maybe he¡¯d survive the test if he found the right people. But judging by the girls around him¡­ that didn¡¯t seem like a good team at all. We followed the test proctor to a forest outside the kingdom¡¯s walls. The trees were towering, so massive that they seemed to pierce the sky itself "Welcome to the Giant Spirit Tree Forest! This time, the test will be split into two parts. The first will be¡­ a Battle Royale!" The moment I heard those words, I immediately distanced myself from the crowd. Of course, this wouldn¡¯t be easy. He wanted to weed out the weak¡ªbut without dirtying his own hands. This was most likely just a way to thin the numbers. If they accepted this many people every test, it would become a problem for the kingdom. Naturally, people started asking questions. Battle Royale? What does he mean? Are we supposed to fight each other? These thoughts rushed into their minds as they instinctively took defensive stances against those around them. "Yes, you¡¯re wondering why you have to fight each other¡­ An adventurer must be wary of the people around them before worrying about the monsters in front of them." Their thoughts were cut short by a piercing scream. A girl stood among them, her chest split open, blood dripping onto the grass beneath her. Someone had already drawn a dagger and made their move. That was the spark that ignited the chaos. Screams erupted, weapons clashed, and the sharp-minded ones immediately bolted into the jungle. "Yes, dear adventurers! Best of luck to you all¡­"